Welcome

Dear friends,

Welcome to Dorcus Beads home page.

It is with great pleasure that we share with you the products that are beign produced by women in Uganda and Kenya through this blog. The Dorcus beads invitative is a micro-enterprise of women of EAst Africa. The Dorcus beads are made from recycled glossy magazines.

DORCUS.

DORCUS, who now lives in Uganda is a team mate and friend of April Foster and Meble Birengo who are based in Nairobi. Dorcus has been part of the HIV/AIDS Facilitation TEam in Uganda and has been responding strongly in support to Orphans and vulnerable Children.

In 1994 Dorcus was attending an HIV/AIDS workshop in the Sudan. Dorcus was unable to travel back to Uganda because of some internal conflicts between Uganda and the Sudan and was invited to stay with a women while the conflict was settled.

The lady Dorcus was staying with was making beads from re-cycled paper, she taught Dorcus how to do this.

When Dorcus was able to return to Uganda she began transferring that skill to women in the local communities in Kampala, Uganda. Dorcus became a volunteer for the Salvation Army and began to teach women in various Army locations.

Dorcus currently works with two women’s groups of approximately 30 women in each group. These groups are located in the Naguru Slum near the major city of Kapala in Uganda. The ladies in the group collect disguarded and unused magazine newspaper and to look for ways to retail the products that they have made. The groups meet once a week at which time they bring the items which they have made and together they determine the items that will be added to the common stock of the group. The remainder of the items they have made they retain and are able to sell on their own..

The end result of this process is that monies raised through the sale of the products either by themselves or by the community group are used to:

1. Support their own children with schooling, clothes etc. and other basic household needs.

2. Raise funds to purchase water tanks and toilets.

3. organize and support local kids and youth clubs which meet once a week,to respond to the psychological needs of children who are affected by HIV/AIDS.

4. The beads used as 'entry points' for wider community conversations to stregthen care and support for widows and young women.

This venture has now expanded to Kenya and the community of Kithituni. The work in Kithituni started with just 3 women. It now has over 50 women. These 50 women make beads at home from recycled newsprint, and then bring to the community gathering where they finalized the product with varnish at a local shop.

After the beads are made, the women find local and other sources for the sale of these beads. The monies derived from the sale are used to support there own families, children who are left as orphans due to the death of their parents from HIV/AIDS and other community needs.

This blog therefore has the intent to be sharing stories from these women who are finding ways to support themselves, but also share some of the products that are on sale. The Dorcus beads invitiative is beign advocated and accompanied by April Foster and Meble Birengo based in Nairobi.

for direct contacts please email: ajfsareg@maf.or.ke and mvilika@ma.or.ke

Thank you

Dorcus Beads